Anticlogging nozzle for currying apparatus



Nov. 4, 1952 5. J. ERLING ANTICLOGGING NOZZLE FOR CURRYING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 3, 1946 INVENTOR SWNc/OHAJV ERLING Q4? ATTORN W FIG. 8

Patented Nov. 4, 1952 ANTICLOGGING NOZZLE FOR CURRYING APPARATUS Sven Johan Erling, Nockeby, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Separator, Stockholm, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Application October 3, 1946, Serial No. 701,013 In Sweden November 10, 1945 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to currying apparatus of the vacuum operated type, and has particular reference to an improved vacuum currying apparatus so constructed as to substantially reduce or eliminate the usual hair and dust deposits which accumulate in prior apparatus of this type during the currying operation.

Vacuum-driven currying apparatus are provided with a nozzle which, in the currying operation, is adapted to be maintained in contact with the fell of an animal. The mouth of the nozzle has generally an oblong shape like that of vacuum-cleaner nozzles. In certain kinds of vacuum-driven currying apparatus, the mouth of the nozzle is surrounded by a ring of teeth. When moving the nozzle across the fell, the teeth enter between the hairs and contribute to mechanically freeing the fell of dust and dirt particles. which air can be sucked into the nozzle.

A condition for satisfactory functioning of such a currying apparatus is that dust particles and hairs pass through the nozzle without sticking to its inner surfaces and thus forming deposits. The nozzles used heretofore have proved unsatisfactory in this respect, as the currying must be interrupted frequently and the nozzle cleaned because of the clogging action of such deposits.

The nozzle contains an air-flow channel which is throttled in the nozzle in orderto ensure a relatively great air velocity. The throttle has the shape of a rather long and narrow'slot which extends lengthwise in'the direction of the major axis of the oblong nozzle mouth. In prior constructions, it has been found that dust particles and hairs deposit on the surfaces of the nozzles connecting its outer part, lying nearest to the teeth, with the slot or throttle. These deposits grow and more or less obstruct theslot in the nozzle, so that the currying effect is reduced or vanishes.

The present invention, therefore, is directed to the provision of an improved vacuum currying apparatus which eliminates this inconvenience in the prior constructions. More particularly, a currying apparatus made in the accordance with the invention comprises a suction nozzle having a nozzle body provided with an inlet opening or mouth which is at least partly surrounded by scraper teeth, and a convex surface within the nozzle body between the scraper teeth and a slot which communicates with the inlet opening to form a throttled passage for the sucked-in air. Preferably, the scraper teeth are arranged on op- The teeth also form openings through posite sides of the inlet opening, andthe nozzle body is provided internally with two convex surfaces extending inwardly from these opposite sides, respectively, to the slot. Thus, the convex surfaces form a groove, opposite walls of which are bulged out, the slot being located deeper in the nozzle body and at the bottom of the groove. Also, I prefer that the convex surface or surfaces curve outwardly from the slot and toward the scraper teeth at least to the bottom of the spaces between the scraper teeth. For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of one form of the new apparatus, looking in the direction of 'the inlet opening or mouth of the'nozzle'; j 1

Fig. 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Fig.'1', but partly in section to illustrate the arrangement of the convex surfaces in the nozzle body, and

. Fig. '3.is a sectional View of part of the nozzle body, showingthe manner in which it cooperates with the coat of hairs of the animal during the currying.

Referring to the drawing, the currying apparatus comprises a nozzle l adapted to be connected to a vacuum source (not shown). At its inlet end, the nozzle I has an enlarged head la which receives a hollow part or nozzle body 2 of generally'ob-long shape. The nozzle body 2 is closely surrounded by a ring 3 having scraper teeth 3a and 3b arranged along opposite sides, respectively, of the ring and projecting outwardly beyond the face of the nozzle body 2. Outside the ring'3 ,'and on its lagging side when the nozzle is drawn along the fell in the normal operation, the nozzle has a brush 4 for after-treatment of the hair-coat of the animal. The nozzle body 2 forms an oblong and rather narrow slot 5 through which the sucked-in air must pass with dust and hairs. The slot 5, as shown, is located in the middle of the nozzle body 2 and extends lengthwise in the direction of the major axis of the nozzle body 2. Inwardly from the slot 5, the nozzle body 2 defines a flared passage 2a which communicates at its enlarged inner'end with the passage in the nozzle I.

The free surfaces 6 of the nozzle body 2, which define the portions of the nozzle body 2 lying outwardly from the slot 5, are made convex as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The convex surfaces 5 start from the vicinity of the base portions of the scraper teeth 3a; and 3b, respectively, and curve inwardly and deeper into the nozzle body to the slot 5. As shown, the outer edges of the surfaces 6 are located somewhat beyond the bottom of the spaces between the scraper teeth, that is, between the bases of the teeth and their working ends.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: When the vacuum nozzle isymoved along the hair-coat T of the animal, in the'direction of the large arrow shown in Fig. 3, the hairs 8 under treatment are sucked inwardly toward the slot 5. The hairs 8 thus contact the convex surfaces 6 in the nozzle and sweep over these surfaces during the movement of the nozzle. As a result, the hairs coact with the convex surfaces 6 to maintain these surfaces liberated from dust and hairs. Farther in toward the throttling slot 5,

the Velocity of the air is, in conjunction with the The teeth 31) on the leading side of the ring a" are ,bent backwards at an angle of about 45", while the teeth 3a on the lagging side of the ring project at about right angle with the surface of the fell of the animal. By this inclination of the leading teeth 31), the latter will contact the hair-coat gently so that the hairs are not pulled out, while at the same time the teeth will reach down to the bottom of the hair-coat.

In order. to obtain a good result of the currying, it is important that the throughfiow area of the slot 5 be smaller, or at least no larger, than the smallest sectional or throughflow area of the other parts of the nozzle or the usual pipe through which the nozzle communicates with the source of vacuum. In this way, sufiicient flowing velocity of the air in the nozzle is ensured to provide satifactory operation.

It will be apparent that the new apparatus is of simple construction and yet is effective to prevent deposits of hair and dust in the nozzle. Due to the arrangement of the convex surfaces 6, as described, and their coaction with the hairs under treatment, the apparatus avoids the usual clogging of the nozzle. Accordingly, the apparatus may be used without the inconvenience of interrupting the currying operation to clean the nozzle. 7

From the foregoing, it will be understood that the convex surfaces 6 form the front face of the nozzle body 2; and by reason of their convex shape and their inward curvature from the ring 3 toward the slot 5, these surfaces 6 also form the elongated inlet opening 9 in the nozzle body. The elongated slot 5, also formed in the gated inlet opening and an elongated slot parallel to the opening and communicating therewith to form a throttled passage for the sucked-in air, the through-flow area of the slot passage being smaller than the through-flow area in other parts of the nozzle,-a row of scraper teeth on the body extending along each elongated side of aid opening remote from the slot, said body also having convex surfaces forming a face of the body and extending away from the. slot along the elongated sides thereof, the slot lying inside a plane passing through the outermost edges of said surfaces, reckoned in the direction of air-flow through the nozzle, each convex surface forming a smooth and continuous curve from the slot inlet to the bases of the teeth along one elongated side of the opening and terminating at said bases, the teeth extending outwardly from said plane.

SVEN JOHAN ERLING.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,018,136 Slevin Feb. 20, 1912 1,038,517 Ball 1 1 Sept. 17, 1912 1,033,087 Grifiiths Dec. 30, 1913 1,725,762 Lee Aug. 27, 1929 1,770,749 Engberg et a1. July 15, 1930 1,859,132 Fechtenberg May 17, 1932 1,936,369 Riebel, Jr. et a1. Nov. 21, 1933 2,017,780 Walters Oct. 15, 1935 2,159,096 Mitchell 1 May 23, 1939 2,274,560 Ott Feb. 24, 1942 2,396,862 Linderoth Mar. 19, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 341,311 Great'Britain Jan. 15,1931 807,813 France Oct. 26, 1936 

